The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-03-09

swoou, and was able to tell the shocked
passengers what she had seen, Just as
they reached the first stopping place.
She insisted on getting off there, though
she trembled all over, and her head swan
with the blow which it had received.
| There would be no eastward train for
three hours. the conductor said, and in
that time, she thought, her self-possession
would return. The conductor took
Molly out, and into the station, and
Mary was helped by kindly passenger,
who spoke with authority to the woman
in charge. He was director on the
road, and, consequently, Mary was wei
cared for-seatcd in the one rocking
chair, a cup of hot tea brought her,
aud Molly beguiled by the woman's
little child, who always accompanied
her mother to her place of work.
Left to herself Mary began to recall
the fearful sight, to shudder, to remem-
Der her mothers words: II must see the
last of them!" Poor mother she had in
deed seen the last of her daughter and
pretty Molly. And oh! why had she
fainted2 But for that she might have
persuaded the conductor to stop right
there and let her get off. Now, she
could not return to her father till he
knew all, and had to bear the shock
alone. She had three hours to wait here,
alone, impatient, distracted; and she
could not reach her father before 6, his
dinner hour.
Then she thought of him, of the sud-
den horror that had smitten him, and,
woman like, her thought went on into
the future. Would he care to stay in
ID would he not come to herr But
her house was small. her children grow
ing; how could she make him COM
fortable2 She would telegraph to John;
her trunks coming before her would
startle him. Then she reflected that he
would not know the trunks had come
unless she were there too. But he knew
she was to leave l. to day. She raised
herself feebly from the rocking chair,
and asked the woman in charge where
she should find the telegraph Office.
"Well, can tell you, but it won't be
of no use. The was a tornado swep'
over the county yesterday afternoon-at
least over the south part of it-and the
wires betwixt here and Sent Lewis is all
down" Mary sank back in her chair;
she could do nothing for John; he must
put up with his anxiety. An hour went
=
sort of travellers came and went also.
Molly began to cry; she was tired and
hungry. Mary crept over to the restau-
rant, row open to feed the passengers
of northern accommodation train who
milk for the child, and tried to eat
something herself, but food choked her !;
she could only swallow another cup of
ka, Il, n1r M,l1, l, L.
child fell asleep then; the baby head
resting on her bosom comforted that sore
heart, yet she cried bitterly over it, rec
ollecting how often she had sat in her
own mothers arms in her childhood,
and, resting on her shoulder, found that
blessed consolation that only a mothers
arm can give. Oh, what should she do
without mother If she had only died
peacefully in her bed, with tender minis
try about her, loving words of faith,
tears of parting, looks of farewell; but
to be so snatched out of happy life, so
rent from all this world in one crashing
moment. Obi if ever she reached her
California home in safety, she would
never tempt a railway again! What if
there had been an accident to the cars.
and she had seen Molly crushed to death
and could not lift hand to save her?
She clasped the child so closely at that
horrid thought that she cried out in her
sleep. Mary hushed her, and tried to
control her thoughts. She endeavored to
recall the consultations of her earnest re-
ligious faith; but the words even of
Scripture fell lifeless on her memory.
Poor human nature is SO weak, both in
mind and body, that blow staggers it,
and shakes even the foundations. She
was stunned, hurt, desperate; neither
submission nor resignation came at her
call; she could only whisper a helpless,
vague appeal to God, like
"Children crying in the night,
And with no language but cry"
Presently Molly woke up, cross, hot,
and quite intractable enough to occupy
her mother for the next half-hour in
soothing her fretful temper, washing the
warm face and hands, smoothing the
damp curls, and beguiling her sorrow,
with red apple from the lunch-counter
Then. after little while, the window
of the ticket office opened. Mary bought
her ticket TO l., dropped a dollar
into the station maids hand, who re-
ceived it with an astonished stare, and
a grim "Thankye," and then, graspine
little Molly's hand, went out into the
fresh air and paced the platform till the
porter shouted
/ Western Express Passengers fol-
the Bastard, all aboard !"
. Once homeward bound, it seemed as il
her grief and terror were renewed. Molly
sleDt; but in spite of all her efforts, Mary
could not help recalling the last thing hel
eyes saw before she tainted and her sou
! covered before what she must meet now
The way seemed interminable; there
was a delay at one station waiting for 6
freight train that had jumped the track
. in the morning, and was neither of mol
on as yet; and that delay involved anoth
er further on. when an excursion party OF
railway directors and their friends were
due, and had the right Of way. 1t was
, dark when Mary reached L, but she
took the first carriage that offered. and
lifting in sleepy Molly, torn herself by
conflicting emotions Of grief, dread, and
anxiety, she at last arrived at her fathers
. door